


Melting

by 126916912



Category: The Boyz (Korea Band)
Genre: First Kiss, M/M, Roommates, Snow
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:55:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28287327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/126916912/pseuds/126916912
Summary: Chanhee doesn't cope well with the cold though Sunwoo finds that it works out in his favour.
Relationships: Choi Chanhee | New/Kim Sunwoo
Comments: 16
Kudos: 108
Collections: TBZ Secret Santa Exchange 2020





	Melting

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tartagliajax](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tartagliajax/gifts).



One of the things Sunwoo likes the most about Chanhee is his short temper. Though he isn't the most outspoken around strangers and tends more towards passive-aggressive glares and grimaces and comments, he knows what he thinks is right and he won't accept anything to the contrary. 

Sunwoo has been on the receiving end of Chanhee's ire often, knowing that what he is about to do or say will irritate his friend. Since moving in together success is the feeling that blooms on Sunwoo's chest whenever Chanhee's discombobulation stretches his eyes wide and he demands explanations from everyone except for Sunwoo. And Sunwoo adores it. 

Of course there is more to them than that, and there are even more reasons for Sunwoo to like Chanhee — some of these reasons even being conventional and wholesome reasons like how reliable Chanhee is, or how easy it is to make him crack a smile, and how Chanhee secretly dotes on Sunwoo whilst claiming otherwise whenever someone points this out — but right from the first day of living together, being able to annoy Chanhee is valuable. 

"Give me back my blanket," Chanhee grumbles as soon as he notices what is comfortably pinning Sunwoo down onto the sofa. He waddles over, stuffed inside so many layers of clothing that he has no choice but to move like the Michelin man, and immediately fails to drag the weighted blanket off Sunwoo. 

"Are you alright down there?" Sunwoo asks as he peers over his phone. Chanhee's glare is just about visible through the multiple hoodies zipped up to his chin and he rubs his backside pathetically. "I can't believe you spend all that time at the gym and you couldn't even take your blanket back."

"I went once," Chanhee grouches. "One time. Stop being mean to me."

"When am I ever mean to someone as big and strong as you?" Sunwoo asks. Chanhee kicks at him pathetically. "Are you cold?" 

"Obviously. Do you even know how much a weighted blanket costs?" Chanhee asks, rolling his eyes. It was the first big purchase Chanhee had made when they moved in together, citing the climate as the reason he needed it more than they needed a freezer. They still don't have a freezer now but Chanhee had decided a few weeks ago that they still didn't need one on account of the air being too cold here anyway. 

"I don't own one, so I wouldn't know, I'm afraid," Sunwoo says. 

"I own one and I want it back," Chanhee grumbles. 

Sunwoo is a wonderfully magnanimous friend, a blessing upon Chanhee's life, and as such, he hefts up the heavy blanket and gestures with his occupied hand for Chanhee to join him. "How about we share?" 

"Is that supposed to be a compromise?" Chanhee begrudgingly asks as he wriggles onto the sofa and gets under the blanket beside Sunwoo. The boxes of their things are still scattered about, too cluttered and chaotic for them to bother unpacking after the first few stressful boxes, but this makes for a good first night. Sunwoo has already warmed up the blanket with his body heat so Chanhee instantly sinks into the warmth, and Sunwoo has already found a nearby restaurant to order food from seeing as their collective kitchenware is packed into a currently-unknown box. None of this is a compromise. 

For the first month of living together, Chanhee does not stop complaining about the cold. He is constantly wrapped in swathes of blankets and extra layers when at home, but the autumn isn't particularly chilled. 

"What are you going to do when it is actually winter?" Sunwoo asks on a night when Chanhee has demanded company in his bed. Sunwoo is already searching up hot water bottles and electric blankets on Amazon but he is beginning to doubt they can safely be employed together to keep Chanhee warm. 

Despite his shivering, Chanhee has enough fine motor coordination to sneak his icy hands beneath Sunwoo's jumper and pinch his side. 

"What was that for?" 

"You're being ridiculous," Chanhee chatters. "This is winter. I'm cold." 

Sunwoo drops his phone onto the bed and wraps his much warmer hands around Chanhee's fingers so that he can safely move the mischievously frozen digits away from him. "It is going to get much colder than this."

Chanhee's eyes boggle and an accusation is on the tip of his tongue though he can't argue back because he knows Sunwoo is probably right. The realisation is clear on his face right before he snatches his hands away and pulls the covers over his head. Despite the insistence that they huddle together for warmth, sleeping is never easy when Chanhee sinks deeper into sleep and begins kicking Sunwoo away. 

For all the impressed sounds and comments Changmin is making about Younghoon's fancy new coat, Chanhee stayed quiet. It is a very nice coat and Sunwoo was interested right up until Younghoon revealed the price. He quietly admires the coat from afar whilst offering Jacob bites of pizza. 

Eventually, Chanhee says, "Give your coat to Sunwoo."

"Why?" Younghoon asks. He is a funny guy, already stripping off the coat because no matter the reason he will do whatever Chanhee tells him to do. 

"Sunwoo is cold," Chanhee says. That isn't exactly what Sunwoo had expected. He had assumed Chanhee wanted to make fun of him gently by comparing his proportions to Younghoon's endless limbs, but this gives everyone pause. 

"You can have my jacket if you want," Changmin offers earnestly. 

"No. I don't like your jacket," Chanhee says. "Younghoon, give your coat to Sunwoo."

Right now, Sunwoo can hardly understand why this is happening but he is too confused to refuse as he wipes grease off his hands and stands up to put on Younghoon's huge distressed denim jacket. 

"That looks perfect," Chanhee says as he beckons Sunwoo over to adjust the fit. The smile on Chanhee's face is pretty, if unsettling. 

"It's too big though," Changmin says. The jacket is definitely too big, swamping Sunwoo so that he feels too much like an infant. 

"Don't be silly," Chanhee clucks as he beckons Sunwoo to sit beside him. 

Jacob helps himself to more pizza and offers a slice to Younghoon to make up for the loss of his coat. Sunwoo on the other hand gets the pleasure of Chanhee leaning across his lap and worming his arms into the sleeves of the jacket. 

"If you wanted to wear it you could have just asked for it yourself," Sunwoo grumbles as Chanhee squirms against him. 

"You're cold," Chanhee asserts. 

With Chanhee filling up the remainder of the space in the jacket, Sunwoo is honestly too warm but he doesn't mind it. He leans back against the wall with Chanhee draped over him like a ragdoll and begins to enjoy the weight of Chanhee pressing down against every laugh as he tries to volley back jokes with every comment made. 

Changmin is the one who needs to leave first, pretending to casually mention that he is meeting Kevin a little later. He offers an invitation that nobody aside from Younghoon attempts to accept. 

"Don't you remember you were supposed to come with me to check out that box of records I bought from the vinyl fair last month?" Jacob asks quickly as anything and easing the tension on Changmin's face. 

Chanhee laughs aloud, drawing the sleeve so both his and Sunwoo's hands are covering his mouth. Being pulled about like a puppet is nice in a way, Sunwoo thinks, especially as he had spent a considerable amount of time this evening pulling his arms away so Chanhee sucks his teeth and grumbles about him being a brat. If Sunwoo really was a brat he would have made a point of asking why Jacob had made up an excuse to let Changmin leave alone. As things are, Sunwoo allows his arms to curl around Chanhee's as Younghoon tries to remember when he agreed to anything with Jacob. 

Changmin manages to escape alone for his date with Kevin. Younghoon still looks confused as Jacob talks and talks about all of his vinyl records but he is the sort of person who nods along and pretends he understands. 

"He's being dumb on purpose, right?" Sunwoo whispers into Chanhee's ear from behind. Chanhee sighs and sinks against Sunwoo's chest. He tilts his head to look at Sunwoo, unimpressed. 

"I wish it was on purpose. He's just painfully oblivious."

"Who is?" Younghoon asks. Chanhee sighs and sinks more heavily against Sunwoo. "Nobody, dear. You go back to discussing your plans with Jacob." 

Younghoon does as he is told and Sunwoo enjoys the last few moments of being numbed by Chanhee's weight on top of him before they all leave too. 

Whilst inside, cheered by warmth and festive music, Sunwoo hadn't noticed the fluttering of the first few flakes. As they stand on the street in the frigid cold, breath puffing out in white clouds, Chanhee tilts his head up to stare at the first snowfall of the year. The peaceful flakes dance against the backdrop of treacle-dark sky on their way down to earth and Chanhee's nose wrinkles as the minute ice lands on his face. 

Sunwoo can't help but laugh as he peers up over Chanhee's shoulder. They have waddled outside and had all their fun. Sunwoo only manages to withdraw one of his arms from the shared jacket before Chanhee grabs his hand to keep him close. 

"You're still cold," Chanhee tells Sunwoo over his shoulder. Sunwoo sighs. 

"Younghoon is cold too. Let's give him back his jacket."

For once Chanhee doesn't take it as an invitation to bicker. He pulls himself free and Sunwoo doesn't have to feel so bad about how hard Younghoon is shivering. 

"Are you two getting a taxi too?" 

"We can walk from here," Jacob grins. 

"How romantic," Chanhee grumbles through his chattering teeth. Just seconds after losing the jacket Chanhee is trembling like the last leaf of autumn. Sunwoo grins. 

"No romance for you, I'm afraid. Just laughing at a taxi driver's bad jokes."

"As long as we get home to warmth and civilisation soon that's just fine."

Jacob wishes Sunwoo luck whilst Younghoon, the sweetheart that he is, clutches Chanhee to his chest and promises to transfer all the body heat he has left before he leaves. Once Younghoon and Jacob are gone, strolling down the street beneath fairy lights and the flutter of first snow, Chanhee looks utterly miserable. His arms are wrapped around his middle as he glares at Sunwoo. 

"What?" 

"Aren't you cold?" 

"Nope," Sunwoo lies. Chanhee's expression doesn't improve. 

"I can see that you're clenching your jaw so you won't chatter your teeth. Let me be kind and share bodyheat with you," Chanhee says as he siddles closer. His hair is powered with fat white flakes which look more at home than ever as they coronate him into the first snowy evening of the year. He looks pretty, delicate as the snowflakes themselves though Sunwoo knows him to be just as disagreeable. 

"If you have so much excess heat won't you get me all sweaty?" Sunwoo asks innocently. Chanhee makes a sound like a frustrated rhinoceros. Definitely not delicate. 

"Why are you so difficult? I'm cold! If you don't huddle with me you won't be allowed to touch my weighted blanket ever again."

"What about your electric one?" Sunwoo asks before the threat of physical violence compels him to shuffle against Chanhee's chest. The firm security of Chanhee's chest is nice. He looks thin enough that a gust of wind could blow him over but Sunwoo can't recall being in the arms of anyone sturdier. Despite the cold, he could fall asleep right here on the street. "This is nice." 

Chanhee just hums but he must agree. He hadn't asked for this for no reason. 

"I said, 'this is nice'," Sunwoo says louder. 

"What do you want me to say to that?" Chanhee asks. Sunwoo shrugs. "Something. We're sharing a moment here. Don't break my heart right now."

"I didn't realise you had one," Chanhee says with a roll of his eyes. 

Whether or not Chanhee believes in Sunwoo’s heart, Sunwoo can feel the beating inside Chanhee's chest. He isn't wearing enough layers for the time of year even if he spends so much time complaining about the temperature. He should invest in a coat. Perhaps one big enough for the both of them. 

"You're the one not saying anything now," Chanhee notes as he pulls his arm tighter around Sunwoo. They're close. Close enough to kiss, Sunwoo thinks for an odd moment before shooing that away. 

"I'm thinking." 

"You're cute when you're like this. Quiet." 

Sunwoo keeps his mouth closed but he can't stay that way for long. He is too often compelled to be contrary when it comes to Chanhee. 

"Don't lie. I'm cute all the time."

"I changed my mind. You're a brat," Chanhee grumbles. "How long did the taxi say they would be?" 

"Didn't you call?" 

Chanhee's eyes boggle. "Did you see me call a taxi? I have been with you the whole time, Sunwoo."

"Exactly. When would I have called one? I was just using the word generically. You could have ordered an Uber or something." 

"Did you see me do that on my phone?" Chanhee asks. He sucks his teeth and squeezes Sunwoo even tighter, though definitely not a gesture filled with kindness. 

"No, but I purposely wasn't looking," Sunwoo wheezes. Chanhee squeezes even tighter and Sunwoo certainly feels warm even though he is losing feeling in his limbs. 

The snow only worsens over the next few weeks. Every single morning Sunwoo listens to Chanhee complaining about how his dreams of the weather thawing into the bone-deep joy of the warmer climes he is used to. Every single evening, Sunwoo cuddles against Chanhee and only dedicates half an ear to all of the complaints he has about how the slurry of snow has ruined his day. 

Not every day has been ruined. Sunwoo knows this because Chanhee just as often thanks Sunwoo for making him lunch, or shows pictures that had him thinking of Sunwoo and laughing all afternoon, or tells Sunwoo what he got up to without his trusty roommate around. Always, Chanhee's lips curve into unconscious smiles and his sight softens as it settles on Sunwoo. Yet he only ever seems to recall the misery of snow when warming his icy fingertips against Sunwoo's stomach when they're squashed into Sunwoo's bed together. 

Though the weather warms for a few days it is followed by another cold front ready to resolidify the grimy slush of weeks old snow. The mortification on Chanhee's face as he leaves the flat, bundled in several jumpers beneath his scarf and duffle coat, is cute. He heads out to work and Sunwoo tries not to feel too guilty about having a day off to lounge around at home. 

To make up for Chanhee's misery, Sunwoo looks up homely recipes as he leaves the extra-strong bathroom cleaner to work into the tile grouting. 

Sunwoo knows he isn't as skilled as his ambitions. Instead of thinking of what ingredients they have available he does the sensible thing and decides to order in. It will give him time to recover from the task of cleaning up anyway so it is a win-win for Sunwoo. 

Sunwoo begins to feel markedly like a loser when Chanhee is an hour late without any explanation. The seolleongtang is long cold and Sunwoo hasn't had so much as a message to let him know Chanhee hasn't decided to run away never to return. 

Sunwoo was sort of enjoying living with Chanhee. Having to get a new roommate is going to be a lot more trouble than Sunwoo is prepared to go through. 

He sends a text before taking any drastic action. 

'Did u run away?' 

The response is almost immediate though the timing alone is difficult to gauge as an indication of Chanhee's mood. The message itself is equally cryptic. 

'Low battery. No buses. Too much snow.' 

Sunwoo can't bear the thought of having to decipher an entire conversation like this. He calls Chanhee instead. 

"I told you I had low battery," Chanhee grumbles. "Why are you calling me?" 

"When can you get home?" 

"I don't know. I have been waiting for two hours already. Apparently there are seven buses that haven't shown up yet. I heard there is traffic queuing for miles in both directions. I'll have to walk to get home tonight. In the snow. I'm going to die, Sunwoo."

Sunwoo goes to the window and opens the blinds. Outside is dark, of course, though the night has the almost eerie glow from lights strung up around this time of year reflecting from the thick layers of snow which had fallen over the past weeks. The world is quiet — busy and hectic as usual but muffled with white so dense it could silence every complaint Chanhee could ever make. 

"Where are you? Which stop?" 

"Still at the station," Chanhee grumbles. 

"I'll be there in half an hour." 

Chanhee makes a sound of protest, which Sunwoo understands because he wouldn't want to stay put for thirty minutes in the freezing cold however he can't arrive there any sooner. 

Wrapped in two coats, two scarves, one woolly hat, two gloves, and three pairs of socks inside his heavy snow boots, Sunwoo leaves on his mission. 

Venturing outside after spending the day so toasty and warm feels like a crime. Sunwoo sucks up his misery and marches on through the snow. His boots get compacted with snow and more flakes begin falling over the slippery streets. Though Sunwoo would like to go home again he can't return without Chanhee. He wouldn't be able to cope at home without Chanhee, at least not without Chanhee seeing the amazing job Sunwoo did with the bathroom tiles. 

The thought of Chanhee listlessly congratulating Sunwoo is the motivation to get through the slush and ice and the miserable streets. 

Seeing the traffic, bumper to bumper, Sunwoo doesn't envy the people stuck in their cars. Going nowhere when they should be must be far more frustrating than the stiffness of his fingers and toes as he wades through the slurry of snow and precarious pedestrians. 

Sweating through his layers, but loathe to remove anything to ease the overheating, the glittering of the tall glass bus station is in sight. The glass walls are speckled with raindrop precipitate which splits the orange glow of streetlights into prisms where snowfall is melting. The gritted pavement outside the station is layered with orange sludge from the melted slurry of melted snow but whilst it hadn't refrozen it is the least risky surface Sunwoo has encountered. 

Through the clusters of mostly dark spectrum of coats and jackets, Sunwoo scans through the winding queues of disgruntled commuters until he finds Chanhee. Adorably burrowing into the collar of his duffle coat, Chanhee looks almost as though he could fall asleep standing up. That is until his eyes lock with Sunwoo's and something akin to disbelief glimmers across his vision. 

"You came." Chanhee's voice is filled with gentle awe as Sunwoo removes one of his scarves and reaches up to wind it around Chanhee's mouth. 

"You knew I would come. Why would you wait for me otherwise?" 

An eyeroll is the response but Chanhee can't disagree, Sunwoo can tell that much. 

"I bought dinner, something hearty to warm you up, but we'll have to reheat it when we get back home." 

Chanhee nods, shuffling down into the extra scarf Sunwoo donated to him. "It can't be helped. It will probably be just as good warmed up." 

"It will," Sunwoo agrees. "We should get you home so that you can get warmed up too. Your weighted blanket is great for nights like this."

Chanhee scoffs but doesn't argue with Sunwoo. He simply slides his gloved hands against the padded warmth of Sunwoo's hand and leads the way through the complaining crowds stuck at the station. 

The effort of trudging home makes talking difficult, even when Chanhee's cheeks are warmed by the exertion so Sunwoo only lends half an ear knowing that he will hear it all again when they get home anyway. Sunwoo suspects he has heard it all before anyway, the milder winter months Chanhee is used to where he could dress comfortably all year round and instead of looking like the Michelin man, winters where he has gone to the park and had to shade his eyes from the sun with his friends. 

Hand in hand, they manage the journey and arrive home. Shuffling up the stairs, the heat from the radiators permeating their flat pulls them in. Sunwoo hadn't realised how stiff his fingers were until Chanhee pulls his hand away to tug off his gloves. 

Sunwoo glances down at his right hand, still frozen into the grip he had around Chanhee's hand. It is strange. 

They microwave their dinner together, Chanhee once again regaling Sunwoo with stories of summer-like winters spent in the tropics. 

Though they are far warmer than on the walk here, they sit close together, cosy as they press shoulder-to-shoulder. Sunwoo doesn't say anything unusual and Chanhee doesn't press him for reactions. 

It is late once they're done eating and Sunwoo is content to pretend to doze against Chanhee's side and offer mumbled responses as Chanhee talks over the drama he had put on the TV. 

At some point Sunwoo really does fall asleep. He only realises this when Chanhee gently shakes him awake and not because he was drinking iced coffee like his life depended on it whilst fanning himself against a cloying sheen of sweat that the humidity had drawn out of him. Perhaps Chanhee speaks too often about how these wintry months used to go if Sunwoo can dream about something he has never experienced firsthand. 

The heat of Sunwoo's dreams is tempered by hot chocolate offered in a mug Chanhee had complained was too big when he first saw it in their kitchen. The mug's partner remains in Chanhee's grip as he takes his seat beside Sunwoo once more. This is different to how things usually go for them. Quieter. Calmer. 

"What's wrong with you?" Chanhee asks, apparently aware of the odd rhythm of the air between them. 

"Nothing. Just concentrating on the hot chocolate. All those… flavours." 

Chanhee snorts and smacks Sunwoo's arm hard enough that the hot chocolate almost slops over the rim of the mug. 

"Sorry," Chanhee offers. He's smiling, soft, pretty, comfortable. "You must be tired. Did you just want to go to bed?" 

Sunwoo is tired, still gummy-eyed and stiff, and Chanhee should be feeling worse seeing as he was out all day in the icy air. Yet he is smiling like he has anything to be happy about. 

Maybe there is something to be happy about. Sunwoo glances at the tiny marshmallows floating in his mug. Pink and white bobbing up and down in an ocean of sweet. 

"Let's go to bed," Sunwoo agrees. 

It feels normal, getting into bed with Chanhee and pressing close. Part of the nighttime routine, before sinking beneath the weight of multiple blankets but after brushing their teeth, Sunwoo listens to his usual bedtime story of Chanhee grumbling about how inconvenient snow is. 

"The snow isn't so bad," Chanhee says as Sunwoo's eyes are about to flutter closed. The effort it takes to wrench his eyes open is gargantuan, too much like he is dragging himself out of a dream.

"What did you say?" 

The response isn't the usual begrudging reluctance. Chanhee is smiling through the night-blue dimness of Sunwoo's bedroom, eyes catching an inexplicable source of light to twinkle through the dark. He is smiling. "I said the snow isn't so bad."

"Why?" 

"Thank you for coming to walk home with me." 

Sunwoo nods, not really sure what to say, not sure whether he is even awake. The drop in Chanhee's voice sounds like he is sharing a secret. Sunwoo wants to know his secrets but he also feels like he doesn't really deserve them. He knows he is annoying. Infuriating, is what Chanhee has called him from time to time and Sunwoo has repaid that by trying to get on his nerves again and again. But these moments where they press against each other in bed, or anywhere really, feel just as much like secrets as anything Chanhee could tell him right now. 

"I want the snow to stay a while longer. I want more excuses to be close to you like this. I want more excuses to hold your hand."

"You don't need excuses," Sunwoo whispers. Then, "Why are you telling me this."

"Because you're practically asleep and you might not even remember in the morning," Chanhee says. Sunwoo licks his lips, dry, chest thumping hard enough it could jolt him to wakefulness within a few beats. Even in the dark it is easy to see Chanhee's smile, sly. He is worse than Sunwoo could ever hope to be. 

"That's not fair," Sunwoo grumbles, irritation and sleep both dragging him deeper against his half of the pillow. 

"I know," Chanhee says, the smallest hint of a laugh in his voice. This isn't a laugh he is shielding from the world with his hand. This is a dream it must be. Sunwoo is even more certain of this fact when Chanhee creeps a little closer. "Even though you won't remember, can I kiss you?" 

"You're the worst," Sunwoo grouches as he reaches for Chanhee under the covers. He is cold to the touch, should be much closer. "Hurry up."

It isn't a kiss, not really. More of a laugh against Sunwoo's lips, spearmint sharp and so close to perfect. He is gone, not a moment later and Sunwoo sinks into disappointment. Of course. Just a dream. 

Waking up nestled into Chanhee's chest, Sunwoo certainly remembers the night before. Not quite a dream, though a great deal more solid than his usual visions in the night. 

"It snowed again," Chanhee says, the sound rough even as quiet as he is. He is holding Sunwoo to his chest so carefully it is a wonder how long they have been like this. 

"How do you know?" 

"I checked earlier. Before I got back into bed. I made us breakfast already." 

Chanhee got out of bed. He made breakfast. He got back into bed. And now Sunwoo is snuggled against him like he has any right. 

Something akin to disappointment flares up the back of Sunwoo's neck. Embarrassment seems disappointingly close to the feeling. It is at this moment that Chanhee speaks again. 

"Will you remember this time?" 

"Remember what?" 

Sunwoo tilts his head up quickly enough to see resignation seep into Chanhee's expression. 

"It doesn't matter," Chanhee says. "We should eat." 

"It matters," Sunwoo says, gripping tighter when he feels Chanhee begin to pull away. "What do I need to remember?" 

Pink rises quickly in Chanhee's face, saturating itself to an irate red immediately as he puts some space between them. "It's nothing."

"Don't be like that," Sunwoo says, not too proud to ignore his own plea. "If you kiss me again I might remember."

Just like that the colour drains from Chanhee's face. And then it returns. Pink and white bobbing to the surface of his skin almost like little marshmallows but not nearly as sweet. Sunwoo thinks he probably remembers everything he needs to. 

"Kiss me again. If you're only going to do it when it snows I can't waste any chances," Sunwoo says. He feels brave. Still oddly as though he is compacted below minute crystals of sleep but it only sharpens the sense that he needs to only focus on one thing here. 

"I need to brush my teeth," Chanhee says vaguely. 

"Me too. So we can just do it again afterwards anyway too," Sunwoo says. Nonsense tends to be the best way to handle Chanhee at times like this. "Another kiss after each time one of us eats or drinks anything too. We can't risk losing the kisses like that."

Chanhee, to his credit, doesn't even bother trying to work out whether there is any sense in the words. He sighs. He leans in and offers only the lightest graze of lips against lips. He is sitting back before Sunwoo can even register it and feels the lingering remnants of the kiss melt away too quickly. 

"Are you going to kiss me like that every time? No wonder you think I won't remember by the time the snow is gone."

Chanhee doesn't laugh. "Normally you go to sleep right away and don't remember," he grumbles. "I don't know what you're talking about though."

That is unexpected. 

"You've kissed me before? As in not just last night?" 

Chanhee nods slowly. "You said I could. Whenever I wanted."

Sunwoo thinks he would recall saying something like that. If he had said such a thing, surely Chanhee would have kissed him more than just the occasions Sunwoo doesn't remember.

"When?" 

"After the first snow," Chanhee says slowly. "We were talking in bed. Apparently you forgot right away."

Sunwoo wants to smack himself in the face. This is the worst possible thing he could have forgotten. Then again the first snow was a few weeks ago. Chanhee has been complaining about the cold nights and pressing his cold fingers and toes against Sunwoo in bed almost every night since then. So many forgotten kisses. It isn't fair. 

"How many times have you kissed me? You need to kiss me again at least as many times so I can remember these ones."

Chanhee laughs this time. Bright and loud and enough to thaw the morning right into spring.

Sunwoo takes his chance, surges forwards though he doesn't quite land his kiss on Chanhee's open mouth. He startles the laughter to a near breathless sigh, imperceptible even as close as they are. 

"What was that for?" Chanhee whispers against Sunwoo's lips, chases his words with a hint of a kiss. The reason should be obvious but Sunwoo doesn't mind the question. 

"You looked cold."

That's all it takes for the gentle warmth of the morning to thread its way between them and settle in fluffy flakes of dreams into the crevices of Sunwoo's mind. He isn't going to forget. 


End file.
